The Farmers stir (2020–21) near Delhi border, conducted for 1 year, 4 months and 2 days with systematic agitational modes ended with the withdrawal of the draconianTHREE FARM LAWS by the adamant BJP – led Union government. Fixing Prices for the agricultural produces needs more attention than the total production at the country level with sufficient buffer stock. During the COVID – 19, the only sector that showed a continuous increase in production was the farm sector. The PM Modi – led Union government had projected in its typical governance –style that it had fixedthe minimum support prices(MSP) for 22 farm produces. The extension took place only in increasing the number of produces and not the remunerative and reasonable prices.
The Farmers stir was concluded, of course temporarily based on the promise by the Union governmentthat a high level committee would be formed to arrive at a remunerative prices for the agricultural produces.
The Union government has claimed that it had fixed the MSP based on the recommendations of the National Commission of Farmers 2006. It was only halfway. The costs of production were not reckoned with the due rent for the cultivable land holding. The BJP – led rule that is pro corporates has not considered the entire costing technique applicable to agriculture.
The demand of the first phase of farmers’ stir was legal guarantee for the MSPs. It was accepted by the saffron rulers. Three years have passed by. Nothing has moved so faron the promise made by the rulers.
Now Farmers’ Stir 2.0 has started with more public responsibilitieson their part than that are being observed by the rulers.At the time of talks during the war time between the countries, it would be ensured that nothing untoward would take place by the warfare. But the BJP rulers are on one side inviting farmers for the talks and on the other side placing all sorts of hurdles like placing concrete blocks, fixing barbes over the roadways so that farmers’ procession could not progress. The government treats its citizens – farmers like the army troop of an alien nation. Are the warfare measures of saffron forces fair?
In the second phase the move of the agitating farmers is well calculated shouldering more responsibilities and causing less inconvenience to the public. The move is also not a sudden one but with proper announcement with reasonable notice period.
The government pretends that it is ready for talks with the farmers without any positive and meaningful efforts on its part. Unless there is concrete action, the farmers’ stir cannot be stopped.
The minimum promise on the withdrawal of cases foisted against the agitated farmers during the first phase was not at all carried out apart from the compensation to farmers who were killed in Lakhimpur (Uttar Pradesh) on the deliberate jeep ride by the son of a union minister.
The BJP – led government procrastinates arriving at an amicable solution to the demand of the farmers till the election schedule to the next Lok Sabha is announced by the Election Commission. It shall hibernate itself inside the cocoon of election protocol.If the attitude of the rulers continues like this, more than the opposition political parties, the Farmers Stir 2.0 shall be a deathblow to the saffron rulers who are indifferent towards everything including the welfare and wellbeing of the people of our country.
